Put your soil to the test
Measuring is the first step in managing soil health. By Grethe Bestbier. Is there life in my soil? What kind of life? Does my soil provide enough food for microbes and plants? Soil health tests provide answers to these and…
The benefits of soil health
Laying the groundwork for productive orchards. By Grethe Bestbier. Maintaining soil health is important for many reasons. Soil sustains all forms of terrestrial life and underpins successful crop production. Soil also stores carbon, thereby slowing climate change. Entomologist Matthew Addison,…
Everything counts in large amounts
What are collembolans doing in your orchard? By Anna Mouton. Collembolans are among the most common animals on earth — they occur on every continent and in almost all terrestrial habitats. You can probably find somewhere between 10 000 and…
Organic matter… matters
Because orchard performance is rooted in the soil. By Anna Mouton. Most growers would agree that soil conditions can determine the success of an orchard. This is why so much effort goes into soil preparation when planting. But what about…
Carbon jargon
Your quick guide to carbon literacy. By Anna Mouton. CO2, CO2e and GHGs Greenhouse gases — GHGs — in the atmosphere trap heat that would otherwise radiate into space. The most abundant greenhouse gas in our atmosphere is water vapour,…
Confronting climate change
Carbon emissions and the future of South African agriculture. By Anna Mouton. Global warming threatens South African agriculture as much by changing consumer behaviour as by changing the climate. Growing awareness of the environmental impacts of agriculture is leading consumers…